It's a Family Affair
by Chayner
Summary: Family reunions can come in many shapes and forms. There are the pleasant ones. The not so pleasant ones. And the unpleasant ones. But sometimes, you might just get the one that brings you to paradise. Quite literally, in this case.


**Disclaimer: I own nothing besides the original concepts and narratives that I have introduced in this story.**

 **This one-shot chronologically follows the events of Amor, taking place during the end part of Hagoromo's and Yuno's honeymoon.**

* * *

The days of their honeymoon passed for the two deities in a pleasant blur as Hagoromo and Yuno never stopped from enjoying each other's presence for even the tiniest of distractions. Such was the emotion shared between the two of them, that they could not even fathom spending this time together in any other manner.

Days quickly became months, and months quickly became years, the flow of time being of little to no concern to their activities. For the world had no choice but to bend to its creator's whims, defying its own laws and logic in order to accommodate his will.

The concept of time was no exception. They could spend as much time as they wished inside their private dimension, and if Hagoromo so wished, the time of his world would have remained completely still until their return. After all, his only concern was that he and his wife delighted themselves for as long as they desired.

The first decade of their honeymoon might have passed relatively fast in comparison to their perception of time, yet they have enjoyed each and every second to its utmost. They were already well within their second decade of honeymoon, and they didn't seem to have any intention of departing from the Genesis dimension just yet. Two decades were more along the lines of contentment for them.

As such, another day, just like the many others before it, welcomed the two deities as they sat in their personal quarters within their castle on the moon, simply enjoying each other's presence as they basked in the rays of the artificial sun that shone upon their bed.

Sleep was something that they rarely indulged in, since most of the night's activities consisted of much more exciting times, courtesy of the young goddess, whose passion never seemed to dwindle.

The rest of the nightly activities were more of a pleasant interlude entertained by Hagoromo, and most of them amounted to simple moments of contentment that bridged together Yuno's many displays of affection.

These periods of respite were spent by the couple in what might seem as a rather peculiar manner, as they took their time to observe various other worlds in the casual pursuit of amusement.

Numerous worlds were treated to their inquisitive gaze over the many hours they spent on the activity, and neither of those worlds had been a dull sight so far. For when it came to orchestrating amusement, Hagoromo was second to none in aptitude.

Though on a number of occasions, if the world they gazed upon proved itself to be particularly interesting, their act would be taken a step further, in the sense that some interactions could ensue. These being, of course, on Hagoromo's part, since Yuno was content with simply watching her husband mess with the natural order. Her undivided attention was reserved for only one person after all.

So as a result, they have met and become acquainted with a number of peculiar people that Hagoromo had decided to keep note of for possible future references. Conversing with them every now and then was something worthwhile in personal entertainment, but in some cases he would be the one getting contacted.

One of the more recent and quite notorious examples would be about a certain vampire magician that seemed to keep in touch with him on quite the regular basis ever since their first encounter.

Even over the past few minutes he'd actually been having another chat with him.

It was easy to tell how much the Wizard Marshall seemed to enjoy talking to him. And to anyone who actually knew the old vampire beyond a superficial level, it would be quite clear as to why such a thing might be the case.

To Hagoromo, however, it was more than obvious.

"Yes, Zelretch, I won't be missing the upcoming grail war," the silver haired deity spoke to the small vortex of swirling colors floating before him. "I might even contribute to the fun myself, you know, just to make things a bit more interesting."

A high spirited and perhaps even slightly deranged chuckle was heard coming from the portal. "In that case, I'll be looking forward to it even more," the vampire magician replied.

Hagoromo observed with an amused smile how the kaleidoscope of colors quickly shrank in size, before disappearing completely from existence as another one of their inter-dimensional chats came to an end.

"That Zelretch person has been pestering you an awful lot lately," Yuno pointed out after barely a moment of silence.

Hagoromo smiled knowingly at his wife. "If you think that's pestering, then you should see Tzeentch. He keeps trying to get me to join those paradox poker-pool-roulette-chess games he hosts on every Saturday night," he said in amusement. "And his invitations are becoming more and more creative with each attempt."

A frown marred the young goddess' face the moment she heard that. How dare that annoying mollusk try to hog her husband's attention for himself!

"Maybe I should pay him a visit?" Yuno asked in an eerily sweet voice as her previous frown became a beatific smile underlying something sinister.

Her ominous demeanor didn't last for long though, as a simple caressing of her hair from the deity sitting next to her was enough to immediately return her back to her usual love struck self.

"There's no need for that, my dear," Hagoromo replied as he idly played with his wife's rose locks. "I am a little curious, so I was thinking to humor him one day. I could even provide him with a pocket dimension strong enough to sustain the game until someone manages to actually win. You know, just to see what would happen."

Yuno giggled in response, before leaning closer to her husband and seemingly melting into his embrace as she enjoyed his ministrations.

"Boredom is a very powerful motivator," Hagoromo continued after a brief pause. "Very few have a wife as wonderful as yourself to keep them so _occupied_."

The young goddess blushed a little at the way her husband voiced that last word, and a number of rather vivid images briefly flashed through her mind, causing the red dusting on her cheeks to become more prominent.

"Besides, if it ever comes to that, I'd have to come along as well. Just to make sure that Khorne and Slaanesh are kept in check," Hagoromo concluded. "Khorne won't miss the opportunity of such a battle once he gets the wind of it, and Slaanesh is more than self explanatory."

Chasing the previous thoughts away from her mind for the time being, Yuno decided that it was only fair if she also teased her beloved a little in return.

"Is that jealousy I hear, darling?" Yuno teased playfully, nothing more than a facetious display as their bond made it quite obvious how things truly stood from her perspective.

"Oh, you know it," Hagoromo replied smoothly, his voice lowering as he leaned closer to her ear, "And you love it. So much that you just can't have enough of it. So insatiable you are, my love."

Yuno's blush returned in full force as she listened to her husband's voice, the innuendo underlying his words not helping her situation in the least.

She slightly shuddered when his lips lightly brushed past her ear by the end, but she still found it in herself to give a proper comeback.

"As insatiable as you can be once I tempt you enough?" Yuno shot back to her husband with a sultry smile, despite her still reddened cheeks.

Hagoromo smirked at the young goddess, seemingly pleased at her attempt. "My, my. You are getting better and better at this," he replied as he once again leaned closer to his wife. "Among many other _things_."

This time though, he captured her lips in a passionate kiss that left her dazed for a few moments.

Once Yuno came back from her dreamland, she blushed an even more vivid shade of red and quickly buried her face in the sleeve of her husband's robe.

"Jeez, darling!" she muttered, her voice muffled by the soft fabric. "Just you wait... one day I'll outwit you."

Hagoromo looked at his wife with amused eyes as he gave his reply. "I'll be looking forward to that moment, my love."

A brief silence settled upon the atmosphere of the room as the silver haired deity resumed his gentle caressing of his beloved's silky hair while she took the time of respite to calm her fluttering heart.

"I was wondering..." Yuno broke the silent atmosphere once she regained her bearing, deciding to voice a curiosity she had been having for some time. "How are your mother and brother doing in the afterlife? Is it like a spiritual world for them, where they spend the rest of eternity, or are they no longer aware and merely enjoying blissful sleep?"

Hagoromo smiled at her questions. "Well, I could tell you, my dear. Or I could take you there to see for yourself how they are doing," he answered with a knowing wink, earning himself a giggle from the goddess in his arms.

"Sure!" Yuno replied with an enthusiastic nod. "That would be much better."

Hagoromo chuckled in a good-natured manner at his wife's display of excitement, before taking her in his arms and getting the both of them out of the bed as the young goddess let out a surprised yelp at her husband's sudden gesture.

The atmosphere of their bedroom was soon filled with the sound of feminine giggling as Hagoromo spoiled his beloved wife a little longer.

* * *

The Pure World.

A metaphysical plane of existence connected to the world of the living by the power of chakra. A realm considered by those knowledgeable enough to be the afterlife for the departed souls.

Even if the gift of chakra was stripped away from humanity, its shaping influence over the world during the many millennia had undoubtedly remained. The divine power still tied together the realms of the living and the dead, the sole difference being that mankind no longer had the ability to disrupt the natural order of the world.

As such. the souls of the departed were no longer to be disturbed from their eternal rest, unless The Creator himself saw it fit to do so. But then again, given the nature of this so called eternal rest and the lack of awareness that it entailed, perhaps some of the souls within the afterlife would easily accept the whims of their governing deity if given the chance.

Thus it went without saying that what followed beyond death in their world was not something too exciting to look forward to.

Though, as with most things in existence, there was an exception to that rule.

The souls that once held the pure energy of the divine found themselves having quite the different experience in the afterlife. And the notion of eternal rest applied to them only loosely, for they simply continued to exist as aware spirits within the metaphysical realm, their great power enabling them to subvert the natural order.

Yet it only made sense, for these souls contained within themselves the essence of The Almighty himself, having been once shaped from pieces of his own spirit, and given life through his unfathomable power during ancient times.

Of their divine lineage, however, only two were those who remained. The others long recalled back to their origin to restore what could not be forever kept apart.

As for those two souls, well...

They had been recently given their deserving rest, guided to the realm of the afterlife by the Almighty One himself.

* * *

Hamura wondered how long had it been since he and his dear mother had first entered the Pure World. Time surely passed by with little to no notice for those residing in the afterlife, that he certainly agreed with.

Thinking back to the moment when he first arrived, it almost felt like it happened merely few days before. He supposed that it was no use trying to keep track of time in a place where such a concept did not have any meaning.

He could still remember with much clarity the nostalgic feeling from when he first saw the place that soon became a home in the afterlife for him and his mother. It looked identical to the house where he grew up with his brother. Even the surroundings were the same.

Hamura could not help but smile at that thought. Even though the Pure Land was not a place that could be likened to anything residing in the material world, it seemed that his brother had found a way around that as well.

Just as he always did.

That aside, the only part that had left him a little bemused in the beginning was the fact that his experience in the Pure World turned out to be quite different from the eternal rest he had initially expected. And it wasn't even something that he could have attributed to his brother's doing.

It seemed that the afterlife simply regarded him and his mother fundamentally different than the other resident souls due to their immense innate power, thus enabling them to maintain their awareness within the spiritual realm. A boon that he did not really mind, because, in the end, rest was still rest, regardless of how one experienced it.

As for the time he had spent so far alongside his mother, well... he wasn't sure if he could properly put everything into words.

He loved his mother.

For her sake, he had chosen to live on the moon, away from his brother. Just so that he could be closer to her and watch dutifully over her sealed body. And even if he might have done that also to fulfill his brother's wish that he imparted to him, his own reasoning for doing it had been just as strong.

He truly loved his mother with all of his heart. So much that when he met her in the afterlife and saw how vulnerable and distressed she had been at that time, he could just not bear it.

Something almost snapped inside him when he learned of what she had gone through, and only the thought that his brother had vowed to exact retribution had kept him from raging at the afterlife until he broke out and went after that man himself.

That, and the fact that he knew how his mother needed him by her side during such a time of distress. He had to be there for her, as he simply could not bear watching her shoulder so much pain only by herself.

So he tried his best to ease her distraught mind and comfort her in any way that he could think of.

Anything for her sake.

Yet, at some point, something happened, and they ultimately crossed a line. A line that they did not cross back.

Not because they could not, but because they did not wish to. It had not felt wrong for either of them, despite their love being much above what should be between a son and his mother. They just loved each other, and that was all that mattered to him. To them.

As such, ever since that moment, a lot of things happened between him and his mother. Things that he would never take back, no matter what anyone else said. And he knew that his mother was of the same mind as him. Neither of them had any second thoughts about what they had done together, and nor did they regret anything either.

However, something still kept weighing down on his mind, despite how many times he had tried to reassure himself. It was the sole thing able to pierce through his stoic demeanor and really get under his skin.

What would his brother say once he learned of what had transpired between the two of them?

He knew his brother oh so well, and he knew that Hagoromo would never look at either of them with disapproval or judgement in his eyes. But a restless and treacherous part of his mind could still not stop from conjuring the worst of scenarios to torment him with. It was so distracting, and it filled him with an uncertainty and anxiety that felt like a chain around his soul.

Not because of the possible consequences to the great love and desire that he held for his mother, but because he loved the both of them so much that it would ultimately tear his heart apart, should he ever be forced to make a choice of one above the other.

Hamura's thoughts were suddenly brought to an end by a watery voice that called softly out to him from above, making him once more fully aware of the soft feeling cushioning his head and the gentle touches caressing his hair.

He'd been sitting on the bed with his mother for the past hour or so, the two of them simply enjoying each other's presence, though at some point he must have drifted away amidst his thoughts.

His beloved mother must have noticed the string of emotions that had been playing across his visage during this entire time. He just hoped that he hadn't made her worry too much.

"Lost in thoughts again?" Kaguya asked, drawing her son's attention completely unto her.

Hamura shifted his head on his mother's lap and looked up at her face, briefly captivated by it for the umpteenth time.

A flawless porcelain, inlaid with the most mesmerizing of opals, and framed by the most exquisite of sweeping curtains of white silk. Those were his mother's enchanting features.

And even if her regal countenance appeared to be lacking much of an expression, the spark of emotion that he could see in her milky eyes belied her seemingly apathetic demeanor.

His mother was certainly the most beautiful being he had ever laid his eyes upon. That was an undisputed fact to him.

"A little," Hamura answered once he was done admiring his mother's exquisite visage.

The regal woman hummed in acknowledgment, her lips stretching into a thin line as her gaze locked with that of her son. "Anything troubling you?" she further asked, a subtle hint of concern underlying her otherwise monotone voice.

The young man slightly averted his eyes from his mother's intense stare. "Not really..." he muttered, sounding rather unconvincing.

"Hamura..." Kaguya's voice lowered as she gave her son a pointed look. "Haven't you learned yet that hiding things from me is pointless?"

Hamura couldn't help the chuckle that escaped his mouth as his mother's words reminded him of a similar exchange from their past.

Kaguya merely kept staring at her son with a patience that befitted a queen, though her brow was slightly arched in questioning at the young man's sudden mirth. "What's so amusing?" she inquired flatly.

Hamura glanced back at his mother, an amused smile still playing on his lips. "Remember back then when you found out that I was covering for brother's absence?" he spoke, prompting realization to flash in his mother's eyes. "You said the exact same thing to me."

Kaguya smirked archly once she fully remembered what her son was talking about. "I suppose I did," she replied airily while twirling one of the young man's white locks around her finger.

Hamura chuckled again at his mother's act, though before he could say anything, the regal woman spoke once more.

"But if you remembered that, then I think that you also remembered what happened to you after you refused to give me an honest answer," Kaguya added, a note of playfulness and saucy mischief entering her voice as her lips formed into a seductive grin that sent the young man quite the mixed signals. "And there might be a repeat of that time, should you refuse to tell me what is bothering you, my dear son. Though, considering our current circumstances, perhaps I'll make it more enjoyable for you this time."

Color seemed to drain a little from Hamura's face after he registered his mother's words, and he almost shuddered at that particular memory. He wasn't looking forward to a repeat of those events any time soon, though he wasn't truly certain if he could say the same about the last part of what she said.

"Well, if you put it that way, mother, then you are making it very hard for me to say no," Hamura replied after a brief period of silence, his lips forming into a smirk.

Hearing her son's cheeky response, Kaguya playfully pinched one of his cheeks in return.

"Mother! I am not a child anymore!" Hamura protested in indignation, though his sassy smirk soon returned on his face. "And I am sure that you have seen it for yourself on numerous occasions so far."

The young man's words earned him an even harder pinch from his mother as she sent him an unamused glare. Though if one were to look carefully at Kaguya's face, they would probably see the faint reddish dusting on her cheeks.

"Ow!" Hamura sounded as he rubbed his sore cheek with a hand. The fact that he could feel pain in the afterlife was something that he chose to not beat his mind with. "You are being so mean to your beloved son, mother dearest." He added in a faux hurt tone, before burying his face in his mother's lap.

Kaguya has to resist the urge to roll her eyes at her son's childish behavior. "You may not be a child anymore, but you are still behaving like one sometimes," she spoke archly.

A brief silence followed their exchange, though it didn't last for long as Hamura soon let out a sigh, before facing his mother again, this time appearing much more serious. "I was just wondering what to tell brother if he ever comes to visit us," he revealed as his stoic gaze met that of the regal woman.

"What? About us?" Kaguya inquired curiously.

"Yes," Hamura replied with a nod.

An almost imperceptible smile settled on the woman's lips at her son's words. She might have not properly shown it, but she was truly touched by his concern. "I am certain that he will understand, regardless of what or how you tell him," Kaguya assured.

Hamura briefly closed his eyes as he spoke. "I know that, mother, but still..." he trailed off as a soft sigh escaped his lips. "What if he doesn't agree with it?"

Kaguya leveled her son a stern glare. "Do you doubt your brother, Hamura?" she asked flatly.

The young man's eyes shot wide open as he registered that. "No, of course not!" he immediately denied the claim, even sounding a little incensed, "I would never doubt my brother! You know that all too well, mother."

Kaguya's features softened at the unwavering response, and she smiled gently at her son. She was really proud of her children's resolve. "Then there is nothing else to be said about this matter," she concluded.

Hamura let out a long sigh, before his expression also lost its previous intensity. "You're right..." he said with a soft smile of his own as he once more closed his eyes in thought.

Moments later, he felt the dainty hand playing with his hair move downwards to cup his cheek, before caressing it tenderly a few times. He opened his eyes to look at his mother and noticed the amused smirk playing on her lips.

"Am I not always?" Kaguya asked archly as she looked in amusement at her son.

Hamura chuckled in response. "Do you really want me to answer that?" he replied in a similar tone to his mother's, drawing another reaction out of the regal looking woman.

Kaguya's eyes narrowed in mock anger. "Hamura..." she spoke while tilting her head downwards to her son, her long hair cascading around the two of them as a slightly foreboding note entered her monotone voice. "Are you being sassy again?"

Hamura merely smiled at his mother's antics. "You are making those scary eyes again, mother." He pointed out calmly, clearly not affected by the woman's halfhearted attempt at intimidation.

Seeing how it didn't seem to work, Kaguya dropped her previous act, and simply regarded her son with her usual apathetic expression. "And whose fault is that, hmm?" she inquired airily.

"I wonder," Hamura replied dryly, before snaking one of his hands around his mother's neck and bringing the two of them closer into a sudden kiss.

Kaguya couldn't help the surprised moan that escaped her lips at her son's gesture, though she quickly recovered and wrapped her hands around the young man as she deepened the kiss.

Their lip lock lasted for the better part of the next minute, and when they pulled away, both of them had visible flushes adorning their faces.

"Let's just say that it was both, and leave it at that," Hamura offered with a smirk.

Kaguya mirrored her son's expression. "I suppose," she agreed dismissively as she brought a hand to the front of her kimono. "Though I must say, you can be quite persuasive when you want to be, my dear son."

With purposefully slow and seductive movements, the regal woman undid the binding of her kimono, leaning backwards a little as she allowed the garment to fall off her shoulders and expose her bare, flawless flesh for her son to see.

The young man's eyes were immediately drawn to the breathtaking curves of his mother's unclothed body, though he still managed to retain enough presence of mind for one last cheeky retort, despite the entrancing pair of fleshy orbs drawing his gaze to them as though they possessed a gravitational pull of their own.

"And you can be quite sensual when you want to be, mother dearest," Hamura's words came off as slightly absentminded as he was already becoming quite lost in admiring the unearthly beauty of his mother.

Kaguya smiled in response, feeling oddly pleased both by her son's resilience to her bewitching charm, and with the way he seemed to be worshipping her with just his mere gaze. "Hmph!" she sounded haughtily a moment later. "Shouldn't you be doing something else with that mouth of yours, instead of running it idly?"

And to punctuate her words, she sensually spread her legs in an inviting manner, exposing her most intimate part to her beloved son, before beckoning him with a finger as she slowly ran her other hand down her body, only stopping once she reached between her legs where she teasingly parted her entrance open with her fingers.

Her last act finally roused the young man into action.

Hamura proceeded to discard his own robe, his movements exuding wild passion as his mind was solely focused on one and only one thing. The naked form of the goddess lying before him that was his mother.

Allowing his instinct and desire to briefly take over, Hamura was between Kaguya's legs in the blink of an eye, his face positioned mere inches away from her mound as his hot breath tickled against her sensitive skin.

Without wasting a single moment, he pinned his mother's thighs to the bed with his hands and dove his tongue deeply inside her sheath, eliciting a surprised gasp from her in the process.

Not expecting such fervent enthusiasm from her son, Kaguya soon found her hips beginning to quiver under his diligent ministrations as pleasure was rapidly building within her core.

"Ahn!"

Soft moans escaped her mouth not long after, as the regal woman could not hold herself back in the face of such stimulation. Her hands quickly found their way to her son's head, grasping tightly at his locks and pulling him even deeper between her legs as she felt her release come closer.

In mere moments, her entire body tensed and spasmed under the wave of ecstasy that washed over her being, turning her entire world into white as her mind was briefly overcome by the euphoria.

In the meantime, Hamura shifted to a sitting position on the bed and watched in a mixture of pride and satisfaction how his mother writhed in pleasure before his very eyes.

Once she came down from her high, Kaguya gave her son a seemingly satisfied smile, though her lips quickly stretched further, forming into a predatory grin after a single moment as she rose up to the young man's level and captured his lips in a searing kiss.

A thin string of saliva connected their tongues as they parted away from their kiss, and the two lovers remained still one in the other's embrace for several moments as they simply gazed in each other's eyes with affection and desire.

"Now it is your turn to writhe in pleasure, my dear son."

Kaguya was the one to break the brief silence that had settled upon the duo as she whispered seductively while lowering herself to Hamura's groin.

She took a few seconds to tease her son's arousal by slowly running her tongue up and down its length with sensual movements, though she wasn't able to hold herself back for too long before finally capturing it in her mouth and starting to pleasure him with the same enthusiasm that he had previously shown her.

* * *

"So this is the only part of the Pure World that has a definite form to it?" Yuno asked while looking around at the changed world. She had just arrived in the afterlife alongside her beloved, and had yet to fully take in her new surroundings.

From what she remembered out of the history books that she had read over her school years, the entire place greatly resembled the domain belonging to a feudal lord from the older times of Japan.

There was a large establishment just a little further up ahead, surrounded by some fields and a river, beyond which a large expanse of forest could be seen. It was quite the scenery to behold, and it had a rather pleasant feeling to it. Homely and inviting.

"Indeed," Hagoromo replied with a nod, before taking a moment to gaze at the surroundings as well. "The rest of the afterlife is just a shapeless world where the slumbering souls dwell."

"Mm-hmm," Yuno sounded idly while still admiring the vibrant scenery around her. "This place looks really nice."

Hagoromo smiled at her words, before walking in the direction of the traditional house ahead of them. "I shaped it after the place where I grew up with my brother and mother," he revealed, a note of fondness entering his voice as he spoke. "I figured it would offer them more familiarity, and make their stay more enjoyable."

"That's so sweet of you, darling!" Yuno voiced merrily as she followed suit after her husband, a spring in her every step. She caught up to him in no time and wrapped herself affectionately around his right arm. "They must have really appreciated your thoughtfulness."

Hagoromo merely nodded at his wife's words with a reminiscent smile as he kept staring at the house up ahead.

Several moments of silence passed, before Yuno decided to voice her thoughts again.

"You really love them, don't you?" the rose haired goddess asked, a small smile adorning her lips as she glanced at her beloved.

"Yes," Hagoromo answered without any hesitation, not even needing the time to consider the question. "They are the second thing I love the most in all of creation. And I am sure that I don't have to name the first one, right, my love?"

Hearing her husband's words, Yuno couldn't help the radiant smile from blossoming on her face. She all but tackled him in the next instant, her arms wrapping around his chest in a tight hug as she pressed her lips against his own in a loving kiss.

The two of them remained like that, embracing each other affectionately for the better part of the next minute, though once they leant back, the rose haired goddess looked at the silver haired deity with curiosity in her eyes.

"Then why don't you resurrect them?" Yuno asked after a moment of pause.

Hagoromo's visage became pensive at his wife's words. "After all that happened in the past, my mother and brother deserve to have their rest. They have earned it and so much more," he replied, sounding wistful. "So knowing that, I refuse to be selfish. The choice of their revival belongs entirely to them."

Moments after she registered that, Yuno's face lit up in joy as she gave her husband another loving hug. "That's so much like you, darling! So kind and thoughtful to your family," she replied merrily, her smile making more than a thousand words. "It makes me so happy to know that I'm also a part of it now. So, so happy..."

A pleasant mood followed their exchange as they walked in silence until reaching the entrance to the house, moment when they stopped to knock at the wooden door.

Hagoromo wasn't expecting his mother and brother to be too surprised at his arrival, despite it being both sudden and unannounced. After all, there was no one else that could have visited them in the Pure World, so they most likely already knew who one of their guests was, even without opening the door yet.

And true to his thoughts, once the door slid open and two pairs of surprised pale eyes were locked to his form, he couldn't see that much of a shock coloring their faces. Or at least, not until their gazes also took notice of the rose haired girl clinging to his right arm.

He had to admit, the brief looks of confusion that settled on both his mother's and brother's faces once they noticed that he wasn't the only guest were quite funny. It actually took them a few moments until they seemed to piece things together and realize who the lovely goddess standing next to him might be.

The fact that they also probably sensed her unique power must have clearly helped with their realization, as looks of understanding soon found their way on their porcelain features.

Somewhat expected, his mother was the first one to fully recover from her surprise. She schooled her features with practiced ease, before addressing them in a voice befitting of royalty.

"Greetings, my son. I see that you have been quite busy since we have last seen each other," Kaguya welcomed her son with a neutral expression. "Naturally, I wish to hear the details once we get inside."

Moments after that, Hamura also seemed to regain his composure and offered a greeting of his own. "Hello, brother. I'm glad to see you again," he said, smiling warmly at his brother, before his gaze shifted to the young woman leaning onto him. "Welcome to you as well, young miss."

"It's good to see you both again," Hagoromo replied with a genuine smile as he looked at his mother and brother.

Yuno took the next moment to make her own introduction. "Hello, mother in law! Brother in law!" she greeted cheerfully. "I am darling's wife, Yuno! It's a pleasure to meet you both!"

Hagoromo couldn't help the amused grin that stretched his lips even further at his wife's cute and cheerful act, and he brought her closer to his side as he exchanged a few words with her through their bond.

Hamura also smiled pleasantly at the young woman's greeting, though he didn't get to say anything as Kaguya chose that exact moment to speak again.

"Come, let us get inside first," the regal looking woman offered, languidly motioning with a hand to the interior of the house as she and her youngest son moved aside from the doorway.

Hagoromo and Yuno stepped inside the house, the latter taking a couple moments to admire the interior as the door closed behind them without anyone touching it.

It wasn't anything extravagant, just a regular traditional design that one might see in the houses built after an older architecture. The furnishing also seemed to be minimal, yet even so, the house still had a pleasant vibe to it.

Not that it mattered much anyway, because a house was still just a house. The important part wasn't its design, but the people who lived inside it.

The two guests followed silently after their hosts as they were led further into the house, though Hagoromo quickly took notice of something that made his mind wonder at the possible implications. His mother was holding his brother's hand as they walked only a few feet ahead of them, a rather affectionate gesture on her part in stark contrast with her usually detached demeanor.

Yuno also took notice of this particular detail, but when prompted by a brief gaze from her beloved, she simply smiled knowingly as if the deeper meaning of that gesture was supposed to be something obvious even at first glance.

Hagoromo merely shook his head in amusement at his wife's antics, and kept pondering on that topic as he was beginning to have an idea of what might be the actual case.

Upon reaching the guest room, Hamura and Kaguya showed their guests to the small table in the middle of the chamber, before all four of them seated themselves on the floor around it.

Seeing how everyone's attention was now back on him, the silver haired deity decided to formally introduce his wife to his mother and brother.

"Mother. Brother," Hagoromo began as he glanced in their direction, before looking back at the rose haired girl seated next to him. "As you might have realized by now, this lovely goddess is none other than my beloved wife, Yuno."

Following the introduction, Yuno smiled beatifically at the two Ōtsutsuki seated across the table from her. "Pleased to meet you both, mother and brother in law!" she spoke politely with a slight bow of her head.

Hamura had a warm smile on his face upon seeing the girl's enthusiasm. "There is no need for such formalities with us, Yuno. You can use my given name," he said jovially, earning himself a nod in response. "We are all among family here, after all."

Kaguya, on the other hand, remained deathly silent while regarding her smiling daughter in law with narrowed, critical eyes.

Noticing how his mother was glaring at the rose haired girl, Hamura quickly shifted his attention on the former princess. "Anything wrong, mother?" he asked, slightly confused at her unusual behavior. "You are making those scary eyes again."

The regal woman merely blinked once at the query, promptly schooling her features back into the usual mask of apathy that she wore, before glancing at her youngest son. "Hamura, be a dear and bring us some tea, will you?" she asked in an attempt to be polite, though her somewhat arch tone made it seem more as a queen's demand than a simple request.

Hamura smiled weakly at his brother and wife, before excusing himself as he stood up from the table and walked out of the room to bring some refreshments.

"I won't mind it if you call me mother in law," Kaguya finally spoke after a brief silence, getting an amused smile from her oldest son and a light giggle from the rose haired girl leaning into his side.

"I see that you have recovered and are doing much, much better," Hagoromo noted smoothly, drawing his mother's attention. "It is nice to have you back, mother."

"Hamura has been taking good care of me ever since our arrival here," Kaguya spoke, her lips twitching into a small smile at the fond memories. "I suppose that I should thank you for sending him with me. I might have not been able to move on like I did without his support."

"There is no need for any of that, mother," Hagoromo replied. "You both deserved to enjoy some rest. I merely offered you two what you have already earned."

"Hmph! It seems that even after gaining so much more power, you have still retained that characteristic humbleness of yours," Kaguya spoke archly, though her tone softened considerably by the end. "You did not allow yourself to become twisted by the power of the chakra fruit, and are thus the first one in our history to achieve that. I am truly proud of you, my son."

Hagoromo just smiled at his mother, not needing any words to convey the emotions reflected in his eyes.

Yuno chose to remain silent as well, though her reasoning was simply not wishing to interrupt the heartfelt moment between her beloved and his mother.

As if on cue, Hamura returned with a small tray in his hands that he promptly placed on the table, allowing the fragrant aroma wafting from the teakettle atop of it to slowly fill the room. Taking some cups from the tray, he began pouring everyone present some of the steaming beverage.

He poured the tea for his mother last, and once he was done, he was met with quite the surprise from the former princess.

"Thank you, my dear son," Kaguya spoke with surprising warmth in her voice as she reached with a hand for the hem of her son's robe. "Now here is your reward for being such a great help to your mother."

In a gesture that surprised everyone in the room, the regal woman pulled her youngest son to her eye level, before giving him a loving kiss on the lips that left him slightly dazed.

Hamura was momentarily struck speechless by his mother's bold act, however Kaguya herself seemed to be a little unsatisfied with the results once she leaned back from her stunned son and glanced at the other two occupants of the room.

Her eldest son appeared to be far less surprised by her gesture than she anticipated he would be.

Mentally sighing to herself, Kaguya decided that this was as good payback as she would ever get for that surprise her eldest son had given her when she opened the door.

True to his mother's observations, in spite of what he had just witnessed, Hagoromo was only minutely shocked, and rather bemused in a sense, though he quickly composed himself as a placid smile found its way on his lips.

Yuno, on the other hand, seemed to be quite blasé about it, not finding anything unusual about the situation, since it was obvious to her that her mother in law and brother in law loved each other a lot. So instead, she chose to sample the hot beverage from her cup, idly noting that the tea brewed by Hamura was pretty good, though not as good as the one that she usually made for her beloved.

"Ah..." Hagoromo began, breaking the silent atmosphere of the room as he reached for the steaming cup of tea in front of him and took a long sip. "It seems that I've missed quite a few things between you two."

"This surprised you less than I expected," Kaguya commented flippantly, her monotone voice belying the weight of her previous act as she also reached for her own beverage. "I suppose that Hamura gave you enough hints along the way to make this development seem less peculiar to you."

"Mother!" Hamura exclaimed in slight outrage after managing to regain some of his composure, a reddish hue barely noticeable on his cheeks as he looked in slight disbelief at the seemingly unconcerned woman. "I thought we talked—"

"Hush, my dear son," Kaguya promptly interrupted her youngest son from finishing his sentence by placing a finger on his lips. "This was the fastest way to explain our situation. Actually, you should be thankful to me for taking care of things in such an efficient manner."

Hamura looked like he was at a loss for words in the face of such a reply, and he simply kept staring incredulously at his mother as she nonchalantly lowered her teacup back on the table, his mouth almost agape at her stilted reasoning.

Still finding herself quite curious about her eldest son's thoughts on the matter, Kaguya regarded him with her complete attention. "Is this sufficient for an explanation?" she asked evenly. "Or do you have any other questions?"

Hagoromo merely smiled in amusement at his mother's characteristic straightforwardness. He would be lying if he said that he hadn't been a little surprised by her act, yet not enough to shake his usual demeanor.

Looking back at his brother's behavior on several occasions, this particular development between the two of them was not something truly unusual, and it even made sense from his perspective.

From what he had noticed so far, it was clear to him that his mother and brother loved one another, and together were making each other happy. So there was truly nothing that he could say in this regard. He didn't have anything against their love.

Then again, he doubted that he would ever have anything against either of them for whatever the reason. They were both very dear to him and he loved them greatly. He would never be disapproving towards them, regardless of their choices.

Realizing that his beloved wife was being oddly quiet about this entire development, Hagoromo found himself rather curious about hearing her own opinion on the matter.

Looking to the side, he saw Yuno smiling as happily as ever while observing the unfolding scene.

Upon meeting his gaze, the rose haired goddess fluttered her shoulders like a butterfly, nonchalantly shrugging as a soft utterance left her upturned lips.

"Love is love," Yuno whispered innocently to her husband.

Hearing his wife's blithe reply, Hagoromo immediately found himself smiling as well. That response had been so much like her that he had to resist the urge to chuckle.

A moment later, Hagoromo glanced back at his mother who was still awaiting his answer. "You heard her, mother," he replied, his smooth tone matching his serene expression. "Love is love."

Kaguya was actually taken aback a little by her eldest son's response. She had anticipated her daughter in law saying something along those lines, though she hadn't expected him to be so quick in agreeing with her.

It seemed that Hagoromo had changed quite a bit ever since she had last talked to him. He was much more passionate now, expressing himself as though something powerful had awakened inside of him. A certain type of exquisite love that she knew all too well from her own experience.

Not to mention that he seemed to be on the exact same wavelength as his wife, as if they were united on a deeper level than mere mutual understanding.

Nodding in acknowledgement to her son's response, Kaguya closed her eyes in thought as her lips drew a thin line. She had to see a little more before she could properly give her verdict on this matter.

Her daughter in law was indeed very intriguing with how much she resembled an Ōtsutsuki in mindset, despite being human in origin, yet she had to make sure that the girl was truly the one worthy of her eldest son.

In the meantime, oblivious to his mother's machinations, Hamura seemed to be quite relieved upon hearing his brother's answer, and smiled both at him and at his wife for their support.

A brief period of silence settled over the occupants of the room, though it didn't last for more than a few moments, as Hagoromo was quick to voice his thoughts again.

"That being said, it seems that some changes have indeed occurred lately, and not only on my side," Hagoromo said with a note of dry amusement entering his tone. "Though I do think that mine might have a bit more of a shock value to them."

"Oh?" Kaguya sounded curiously in response. "Has my other son also grown much more cheeky since I have last seen of him?" Her voice quickly gained a note of mock-concern to it. "Will this poor mother no longer be able to handle her children on her own anymore?"

"Don't worry, mother in law! You have my support in this!" Yuno cheered with a sweet smile a moment later. "I'll make sure to give my best at reaching darling's level of wit, so that we can become a proper match for them."

Kaguya nodded in appreciation at the girl's words. "See to it that you do your best, my daughter in law."

"Yep! I will!" Yuno agreed, her smile still in place.

"My goodness!" Hagoromo exclaimed in faux concern. "Whatever shall we do now, brother? It seems that our lovely ladies have already begun scheming against us. Perhaps we should ally ourselves as well to stand a chance against their cunning wiles?"

"For some reason, brother, I'm having a rather foreboding feeling about this," Hamura replied after some pondering, his voice lowering as he leaned closer to whisper to his brother across the table. "Isn't it a little odd how they seem to be on the exact same wavelength, despite having met mere minutes ago? Their synergy is too uncanny to be a simple coincidence."

"Ah, so you have noticed it," Hagoromo spoke with a knowing smirk. "As expected of you, brother. Though as much as I'd like to talk with you about it, right now there is something else that I have to tell you and mother first."

Hearing that, both Kaguya and Hamura quickly became curious to find out whatever it might be that he wanted to share with them.

"What is it, Hagoromo?" Kaguya asked a moment later, voicing the question for the two of them.

Yuno already knew what her beloved was about to say, so she simply made herself more comfortable in his embrace as she waited for him to begin his retelling of events.

"It has to do with the history and origins of our clan," Hagoromo revealed as he took another long sip from his teacup. "More specifically, with how the Ōtsutsuki came to be during the beginning times of our world."

And with that, Hagoromo began the retelling of the events surrounding his Ascension, as well as the more important aspects regarding his new status as the restored God.

* * *

Both Hamura and Kaguya were staring at Hagoromo, their eyes widened with surprise as they were still processing the information he had just revealed to them.

To say that Hamura was impressed by his brother's feat would be an understatement, though despite the awe etched on his expression, one thing would always remain unchanged for him.

No matter who or what his brother was, to him, Hagoromo would always be his dear older brother. Restored God or whatnot, none of that mattered to him. Hagoromo would always remain Hagoromo to him.

Kaguya, on the other hand, was looking at her eldest son with discernible pride showing on her delicate features. He truly had the tendency to surpass everyone's expectations about him. Ever since he had been but a small child. He would always show her that he could achieve what might have seemed impossible at the time.

He had managed to defeat and seal her after all. Even if that wasn't the most pleasant of memories for all three of them, it was a feat worthy of praise in the end.

As for his most recent feat... well... this one turned out to be on a whole other level. In a league of its own.

Most of the things that she had been told about, she wasn't even aware of as the former princess of the clan. And some of those that she knew about, she had only heard of in myths. The clan truly had one heck of a history, it seemed.

Still, Kaguya was certain about one thing.

What her oldest sone had achieved... only he could have pulled off such a thing.

"It seems that you were right on your earlier claim, Hagoromo. Your circumstances turned out to have more shock value to them after all." Kaguya suddenly spoke, breaking the silence that had settled over the room.

The other three occupants of the room watched the regal woman with varying degrees of curiosity as she reached for the teakettle on the table and picked it up.

Kaguya held the kettle for a total of three second, before placing it back on the table without refilling her cup. "The tea has gone cold," she pointed out flatly, getting amused smiles from everyone present.

"Leave it to our mother to lighten the mood for us," Hamura commented jokingly, drawing wider smiles from his brother and his sister in law.

Kaguya seemed unamused by her youngest son's remark. "Hamura..." she spoke, a foreboding note in her voice. "Are you making fun of me?"

"No?" Hamura said unconvincingly, trying to hide his smirk with one of his hands.

"Then perhaps you wish to find out how the couch feels like tonight, hmm?" Kaguya asked airily as her expression turned indifferent. "Who knows, maybe it will be warm with you on top of it?"

Hamura looked at his mother in faux shock, though most of his previous mirth seemed to be vanishing. "You wouldn't!" he replied.

Kaguya merely stared at her youngest son in silence, a foreboding smile slowly making its way on her lips.

"I think she's being serious, brother," Hagoromo supplied helpfully from across the table, looking in amusement at the exchange between his mother and brother.

"Me too," Yuno chimed in with a giggle.

Shaking his head at his mother's shameless attempt at blackmailing him, Hamura's mouth twitched into a smirk. "You surely drive a hard bargain, don't you, mother dearest?" he said.

"I suppose," Kaguya replied with a thin smile, a hint of smugness in her voice.

A brief silence followed the regal woman's words, before all four occupants of the room shared a few moments of mirthful laughter.

"It's been a while since I've heard you make a joke, brother," Hagoromo said to his brother in amusement.

"Well, I figured that with all the somberness from earlier we could use some mirth," Hamura replied.

"Indeed," Hagoromo agreed with a smirk.

A few moments of silence passed, before Hamura addressed his brother again. "So... how is it like being God, brother?" he asked curiously.

Hagoromo took another sip from his teacup, before replying. "Well, being a God in and of itself is not something particularly riveting. Omnipotence is not as grand as most seem to believe. You are doing more or less the same thing, only on a much larger scale, and with the occasional divine politics thrown into the mix," he revealed, his tone equable. "Some deities around the multiverse can be quite irksome to deal with, and you can hardly get any further than a couple weeks, before one of them tries to pester you for whatever the inane reasons. There are some interesting ones, of course, but they are quite rare in comparison."

"Oh... that sounds like a handful," Hamura muttered, almost wincing at the conjured mental image.

"Still, there is one good part that I quite enjoy in all of this," Hagoromo added, his lips twitching into a smirk. "One that makes everything so much more interesting to regard."

"And that is?" Hamura prompted curiously.

"Amusement, brother," Hagoromo revealed smoothly. "There are endless possibilities for it when you are the architect of the worlds. You just need the imagination. Then you can craft whatever strikes your fancy."

"That's new of you, brother. I don't remember you being the type to focus so much on pursuing amusement. You've always been the more serious of us ever since we were younger," Hamura pointed out with a smile of his own. "It seems that you've changed quite a lot in that aspect."

"Indeed," Hagoromo said with a chuckle, before noticing something in his peripheral vision. "Hmm, it appears that our lovely ladies have become silent once again."

From the look of it, Kaguya had entered another glaring contest with Yuno, as the two of them were staring at each other in silence, a thin smile on their faces and a sharp glint in their eyes.

"They're doing it again..." Hamura muttered in slight disbelief as he briefly glanced at his mother. "Should we stop them, brother?" he asked after a moment of pause.

"There is no need for that," Hagoromo calmly waved off his brother's concern. "I believe they are going to reach a conclusion this time."

Hamura raised a curious brow in response. "You seem to be awfully savvy on this topic," he commented. "Care to shed some light for your little brother as well?"

"Of course," Hagoromo replied, drinking the last of his tea and placing the empty cup on the table. "But first, I suggest that you watch, and learn."

As if on cue, Kaguya finally decided to speak, breaking the eerie silence between herself and her daughter in law. "Tell me... What is the fastest way to a man's heart?" she asked the rose haired girl seated across the table from her.

Yuno didn't need any time to think about her answer. "Through his chest, of course!" she replied a second later, smiling sweetly at the older woman.

Kaguya's eyes seemed to glint with interest at the girl's enthusiastic response. "What do you do about something that you truly yearn for?" she asked again.

"Take it, no matter the cost!" Yuno cheerfully answered less than a heartbeat later.

"And what happens to those who stand in the way of your love?" Kaguya further queried.

"They suffer a painful demise~!" she replied in a singsong voice.

Hagoromo and Hamura simply watched the entire exchange in silence, the former amused at the interactions, whereas the latter more curious than anything else.

Hagoromo had his hunches that his mother shared quite the many similarities with Yuno, though after watching their exchange, it was pretty much confirmed to him. His assumptions had been spot on.

Seemingly pleased with her daughter in law's answers, Kaguya's lips drew a thin line as she fixated the girl with a piercing gaze. "One last thing..." she began after a short pause, her voice suddenly gaining a serious edge to it.

Yuno merely kept looking at the older woman without even blinking under the intense stare, her previous smile still in place as she patiently waited for her to continue.

"I want to see the extent of your love for my son," Kaguya demanded, complete seriousness present in her tone. "Show me."

Yuno's face became a blank mask the moment she heard that. "Doubting me is fine, I get it. I can understand where you come from," she said tonelessly. "But what you just said made me feel that you might be doubting Hagoromo, and that's not nice..." Her eyes seemed to darken as she continued speaking, though her voice was becoming lighter and sweeter, creating an eerie dissonance in her demeanor. "I don't like that, I really don't... but I'll let it slide this time. You are darling's beloved mother after all. I can't really hold any ill will toward you now, can I? But don't ever doubt him again, okay? Even if only subconsciously. I have a limit to how nice I can be, too, you know~?"

Listening to her daughter in law's emotionless speech, Kaguya had to admit the fact that the girl could be quite intimidating if she wanted. If the situation was any different, the former princess would have actually taken a moment to verbally acknowledge that. But as things currently stood, there were much more important things being discussed.

"Duly noted," Kaguya responded curtly. "However, you have not done what I asked yet."

"Okay~" Yuno nodded with a wide smile, her voice still unsettling in nature, though her eyes no longer possessing that menacing glint from earlier.

Rising to her feet, the rose haired goddess looked at her husband with a loving smile as she brought her hands to the front of her kimono, loosening the fabric a little.

Then, in a gesture that took everyone in the room by surprise, she plunged her dainty fingers through her chest and slowly tore apart her flesh in an attempt to reach deeper. Warm blood trickled down her arms and stained the floor as she sank her hands further inside, though without giving the slightest of flinches at the obvious pain she was causing herself.

Hamura was struck speechless as he stared at the smiling girl mutilating herself in the middle of the room. Kaguya, on the other hand, was looking at her daughter in law with a hint of respect in her eyes.

Hagoromo, however, was gazing intently at his wife as she systematically tore away at her own flesh, unable to take his eyes away from her bloodstained chest as though transfixed by her gruesome act.

After a few moments of digging amidst the viscera of her own chest, Yuno seemed to get a hold of what she was looking for and slowly pulled out her hands, revealing her own heart cradled in her bloodied grasp, still beating rhythmically as it was connected to the many veins and arteries of her body.

"That looks really painful..." Hamura muttered absentmindedly as he watched the crimson liquid drip from the girl's hands to the floor. Once he snapped out of his daze, he sent a subtle glare to his mother, though the older woman didn't seem to be paying him any attention.

"No pain is too much if it is for _him_ ," Yuno declared as blood dribbled from her mouth, her eyes never leaving those of her mother in law. "Nothing is too much if it is for _him_."

A moment later, the rose haired girl shifted her attention back to her beloved and completely focused on him, as though no one else in the room besides him mattered to her.

With her loving smile on her face, Yuno walked up to her husband, her fresh blood dripping from her hands as she stopped in front of him. Extending her arms, she offered her still beating heart to her beloved. "Just like everything else, this belongs to you," she spoke as more of her lifeblood seeped past her smiling lips.

Hagoromo rose to his full height in the next second and met the gaze of his wife with an expression indecipherable to anyone but her etched on his sharp features. "Yuno..." he began softly, his words seemingly shying away from him in the face of such a moving act from his beloved. His voice became more impassioned as he further spoke. "Again and again... always finding a way to leave me speechless... Just what am I going to do with you?"

"You could give me a kiss, darling," Yuno suggested lovingly, her sweet, bloodstained smile showing him nothing but pure, unadulterated love.

Hearing that, Hagoromo gave his wife a loving smile of his own in response, before reaching for her bloodied hands and grasping them in his own. Sharing a brief gaze with her, he placed a gentle kiss on her beating heart, feeling it race a little beneath the touch of his lips.

Looking back at his wife, he took a moment to admire her radiant expression as he marveled for the umpteenth time at the epitome of beauty standing before him. Then, guiding her hands with his own, he placed her beating heart back inside her chest and healed her wound with a light touch of his palm, leaving only unblemished, healthy skin in its place.

The crimson liquid staining the girl's white garment and hands also vanished as though never having existed in the first place, and Hagoromo wasted no more time before capturing Yuno's bloodstained lips in a loving kiss.

As she watched the passionate display unfolding between her son and his wife, Kaguya's eyes suddenly widened in realization. Knowing her eldest son, she was most definitely on mark with her current thoughts. But just to make sure, she briefly activated her dōjutsu and took a glimpse at the two of them.

Her confirmation came as soon as she noticed the subtle thread connecting her son and his wife together. Their spirits were linked to one another, which could only mean a single thing. Hagoromo was being deadly serious about his bond with his wife, and she owed him an apology for doubting him earlier...

In the light of her realization, the former princess found that she had nothing else to say. If her daughter in law had managed to get her eldest son to do such a thing for her, then she was more than worthy to be by his side. Nothing would ever break what Hagoromo had forged between the two of them.

And knowing that, Kaguya couldn't help but feel happy for her eldest son. He had finally found what he had been unknowingly seeking for such a long time. A love that all Ōtsutsuki seemed to yearn for, despite the very few who managed to find it. Unconditional, all-consuming love.

Kaguya suddenly stood up from the table, drawing everyone's attention to herself as she looked at her eldest son. "I apologize for doubting you, my son, even if so slightly," she said with a slight inclination of her head.

Still holding his wife in a loving embrace, Hagoromo smiled at his mother. "Apology accepted, mother," he said. "You may rest assured now."

"Yup!" Yuno also chimed in happily. "You are forgiven!"

Kaguya nodded at the two of them, a small, almost imperceptible smile finding its way on her lips as she took a moment to quickly go over everything that had transpired in the past few hours.

Though upon noticing how her youngest son seemed to be looking at her intently for some reason, the former princess met his gaze with her apathetic mask back in place. "Why are you looking at me like that, Hamura?" she asked in her usual monotone. "I hope that you are not expecting me to rip out my own heart as well." She wasn't even sure if that would work in the first place, with the two of them being dead and such.

Hamura chuckled in amusement at his mother. "No, mother dearest, there is no need to go that far," he replied with a knowing smirk. "I already know how much you love me."

"Ever the overly confident one, aren't you?" Kaguya shot back archly.

"You know you love it," Hamura countered playfully, eliciting a faint blush from his mother.

"Hmph!" Kaguya huffed in faux anger and looked away from her youngest son, before shifting her attention back on the other two occupants of the room.

Seeing how everyone had their attention on him once again, Hagoromo decided to lighten up the atmosphere a little more. "It seems that yandere personality is in our lineage after all," he pointed out in amusement.

It made sense. Nine pieces split from the soul of an unstable God. If that wasn't the perfect premise for virtually any possible development, then he didn't know what might be one.

"What is a yandere?" Yuno asked curiously as she looked up cutely at her husband.

"The highest form of love," Hagoromo replied, before placing a kiss atop his wife's head. "And you, my dear, are the undisputed queen of it."

Yuno giggled at her husband's remark. "Doesn't that make you the king then?" she asked.

"Perhaps," Hagoromo replied with a chuckle.

A brief silence followed their exchange, though it didn't last longer than a few moments as Kaguya chose that moment to address her daughter in law.

"Yuno," the former princess spoke curtly. "Follow me. There is something I wish to talk to you about."

"Sure, mother in law~!" the rose haired goddess replied cheerfully.

Kaguya hummed in acknowledgment. "Make sure to pay attention closely, because I will not be repeating myself," she added, before glancing at her youngest son for a moment. "Oh, and Hamura," she began, drawing his attention.

"Yes, mother?" Hamura asked with a smile, half expecting her to make another queenly demand of him.

"You clean the blood off the floor," Kaguya said with a smirk as she indicated with her gaze at the many bloodstains adorning the floor of the room, before turning around and walking away to another part of the house with Yuno by her side.

Hamura just chuckled in response as he watched the retreating form of his mother, before turning to look at his brother once she was out of sight. "They are truly something else," he said after a few moments of silence.

"That they are, Hamura," Hagoromo immediately agreed with a fond smile. "That they are."

Seeing how he had a task to do, Hamura quickly stood up to his feet, before letting out a barely audible sigh as he looked at the multitude of bloodstains spread across the room.

In response to his brother's apparent plight, Hagoromo merely snapped his fingers, causing all of the remaining blood in the room to vanish in the blink of an eye.

"Omnipotence is overrated, huh?" Hamura muttered wryly while glancing around at the once again pristine interior.

"Whatever you might be talking about, brother?" Hagoromo asked with with an innocent smile.

Hamura merely shook his head at his brother's antics. "I was saying thank you," he said dryly.

"In that case, you are welcome," Hagoromo chuckled in reply.

"It seems that we've all changed to some degree or other," Hamura spoke again after a brief period of silence. "Yet it is as you've said earlier, brother. Out of us three, you have changed the most. I am curious to hear more details about what happened after my departure."

"Of course, brother," Hagoromo replied with an amused smile. "But you might want to take a seat first. It is quite the lengthy tale if you wish for more than the abridged version."

Hamura chuckled in response. "And after you are done with your story, perhaps I'll tell you the details about my own."

This time, it was Hagoromo's turn to chuckle. "Careful with those details, brother," he warned playfully. "Surely you wouldn't want to actually end up sleeping on the couch, would you now?"

Amused chuckles soon filled the room as the two brothers shared some merriment, before eventually getting to the less frivolous of matters in their discussion.


End file.
